Blue Jays' Osuna off to Mexico for baby's birth

Steve Buffery

Monday, September 11, 2017, 9:20 PM

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Roberto Osuna kicks the dirt after giving up a run to the Boston Red Sox during an MLB game at Fenway Park in Boston on Sept. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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TORONTO — It was at the point of the pre-game media discussion with Blue Jays manager John Gibbons when the talk usually turns to something like U.S. politics, 1970’s rock and roll or an old teammate of Gibbons’ on the New York Mets.

TORONTO — It was at the point of the pre-game media discussion with Blue Jays manager John Gibbons when the talk usually turns to something like U.S. politics, 1970’s rock and roll or an old teammate of Gibbons’ on the New York Mets.

As everyone was about to get up and leave, Gibbons was asked about the status of closer Roberto Osuna, i.e. whether is sore neck will allow him to pitch on Monday.

“He went home,” said Gibbons. “He’s having a baby. He came to us last night. He went to Mexico I believe.”

How’s that now?

Thus ends what has been a pretty wild season for one of the best young relief pitchers in baseball. Osuna has gone through it all this year. A slow start, an amazing mid-season, an up and down end of season. He has 35 saves, second in the American League, and also has an MLB-leading 10 blown saves. There were personal issues that forced the 22-year-old to take a couple of days off mid-season. And now this. Through it all, Gibbons and the rest of the pitching staff have insisted that despite his troubles, Osuna will return as the club’s closer again next year and will get over the problems that plagued him this season.

Gibbons also revealed that outfielder Michael Saunders has returned home to Colorado to be with his pregnant wife.

INJURY UPDATES

The club’s No.1 catcher, Russell Martin, is close to returning after 28 games on the DL with an left oblique injury.

“Russ went out there and hit earlier, down in the cage,” said Gibbons. “There’s a chance he could be back in the next couple of days. I know he’s going to catch a bullpen, I think, this afternoon. He’s feeling much better that’s for sure.

“Hitting is really the big thing (with Martin) because of all that rotating you do,” Gibbons added. “But he has done that a couple of times now and has felt great, so it looks like he’s passed it. “

The manager added that OF/IF Steve Pearce is still a day or two away with a sore back. Third baseman Josh Donaldson returned to the lineup on Monday to face the Orioles as the DH after missing four games with a bug. First baseman Justin Smoak was given the day off from starting with Kendrys Morales playing there to face the Orioles.

AROUND THE DIAMOND

The Blue Jays held a moment of silence before Monday’s game in remembrance of the victims of the 9/11 attacks 16 years ago and for victims of Hurricane Harvey and Irma in the U.S. and Caribbean. Former Jays’ scout Mel Didier was also remembered. Didier, who spent more than 60 years in professional baseball as one of the game’s greatest talent scouts, died on Sunday night. He was still working for the Jays at the time of his passing, which occurred at home in Phoenix with his wife Elena near him. He was 90 ... According to USA Today baseball columnist Bob Nightengale, the Atlanta Braves have hired Perry Minasian, the special assistant to Jays’ GM Ross Atkins, as director of player personnel ... Jays’ baseball information coordinator Erik Grosman celebrated his 39th birthday on Monday.